Beware the politically skilled maverick: political skill interacts with maverickism to predict unethical decision-making

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliroma Gardiner ◽  
Jonas Debrulle
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
Ethical Judgment ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Decisions ◽  
Individual Difference Variable ◽  
Unethical Decision Making

PurposeAcross two studies, the current research investigates whether individuals high in maverickism, which incorporates tendencies of creativity, risk-taking, goal-orientation and disruption are likely to make poorer ethical decisions and whether political skill promotes or hinders good ethical judgment.Design/methodology/approachParticipants completed an online questionnaire and an ethical dilemma.FindingsResults with UK (Study 1, N = 300) and Australian workers (Study 2, N = 217) revealed that political skill significantly moderated the maverickism-unethical decision-making relationship. Unethical decision-making was highest for those high in maverickism and political skill.Research limitations/implicationsResults highlight that for individuals high in maverickism, political skill facilitates rather than reduces the breaching of ethical norms.Practical implicationsResults show that while political skill has traditionally been seen as adaptive in organizations, being politically skilled can contribute to engaging in unethical behavior.Originality/valueThis research provides a new and interesting view of how being politically skilled can negatively impact ethical behavior and identifies another individual difference variable, maverickism, which predicts unethical behavior.

Why do information system controls fail to prevent unethical behavior?

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-266
Author(s):  
Karma Sherif ◽  
Richard Pitre ◽  
Mariatu Kamara
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information System ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Enterprise Systems ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tone At The Top ◽  
Unethical Decision Making

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the ability of enterprise systems and embedded controls to prevent unethical behavior within organizations. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a case study to explore how the configuration of information technology (IT) controls within enterprise systems and their effectiveness in preventing unethical behavior is compromised by the tone at the top. Findings The study highlights the decisive role of cultural values and leadership in moderating the relationship between IT controls and unethical behavior and the realization that ethical environments are socially constructed not enforced. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this research is that the authors conducted one case study in an institution of higher education to refute the theory that IT controls embedded within enterprise systems can prevent unethical, and thus, the results may not be generalizable to other industries. Practical implications An important implication of the research is that the configuration of information system controls is affected by the organizational culture and the ethical values embraced by top management. When the tone at the top does not emphasize the ethical code of conduct, the configuration of IT controls will be compromised leaving organizations vulnerable at all levels. Originality/value Although the authors have a wealth of knowledge on ethics and theories that explain why unethical decision-making continue to surface to the headlines, they have little explanation as to why enterprise systems fail to stop unethical behavior in organizations. This study explores technical, organizational and individual factors that contribute to unethical decision-making.

Decision-making in a dynamic task: effects of goal orientation on stocks and flows performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 695-713
Author(s):  
Feifei Yang ◽  
Jiaqi Huang ◽  
Xiao Feng ◽  
Miles M. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Dynamic Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Task ◽  
Learning Goal ◽  
Stocks And Flows ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effects of goal orientation on understanding the dynamics of stocks and flows (SF). Design/methodology/approach The authors use the well-established department store task as the experimental task to evaluate people’s understanding of SF and implement a survey to assess different goal orientation levels. Ordinary least square is used to test the effects of goal orientations on the SF performance. Findings The findings suggest that learning goal orientation is positively associated with SF performance. However, prove and avoid performance goal orientation are unrelated to SF performance. Originality/value The study has important theoretical and practical contributions. From a theoretical perspective, the authors examine the impact of goal orientation in dynamic decision-making to advance the knowledge on the role of goal orientation. Practically, the research demonstrates that learning-goal-oriented people perform better in stock and flow tasks, suggesting that goal orientation is an important trait for recruiting organizational members whose work involves SF decision-making tasks.

Career adaptability of South Korean engineering students

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 469-488
Author(s):  
Sunyoung Park ◽  
Su Yeong Park
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Career Development ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
Career Adaptability ◽  
Career Decision Making ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of mastery goal orientation, support for career development, career decision-making self-efficacy and engineering interest in career adaptability for engineering students. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 307 Korean engineering students from two universities. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data and examine the relationships among the variables. Findings The results indicated that the level of mastery of goal orientation and support for career development significantly affected career decision-making self-efficacy. Engineering students’ career decision-making self-efficacy also positively influenced their engineering interests and career adaptability. Finally, the students’ engineering interest positively affected their career adaptability. Originality/value This study demonstrated that important factors for career planning and development need to be successively considered during the career choice process by linking it to career decision-making self-efficacy, engineering interest and career adaptability (career choice action), in consecutive order.

Altruism as a pathway to unethical action

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-247
Author(s):  
Michael Babula ◽  
Max Tookey ◽  
Glenn Muschert ◽  
Mark Neal
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Maker ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Poor

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to answer the question, “Can particular types of altruism influence people to make unethical decisions?” The purpose of seeking to answer this question is to better understand those cases in personal, public and commercial life whereby a decision-maker is influenced by what is widely perceived to be a positive thing – altruism – to make unethical choices. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was designed to test the influence of different categories of altruism on decision-making about whether to find another guilty for a regulatory transgression. This involved the establishment and running of a student panel at a UK university, which was given the task of determining the guilt or otherwise of two students accused of plagiarism – one from a poor background; one from a rich background. Through a survey of both the decision-makers and their judgments, and by analyzing the data using t-tests and Mann–Whitney tests, the associations between different categories of altruism and the decisions made could be ascertained. Findings A total of 70.7% of the participants voted “not-guilty” for the poor student, whereas 68.3% voted “guilty” for the wealthy student. This indicated that self-interested, namely, egoistic altruism complemented by social and self-esteem needs gratification was significantly associated with violating foundational ethical principles. Originality/value This is the first study to be done that attempts to evaluate the relationships between different categories of altruism and ethical decision-making. The findings here challenge aggregating all forms of empathy together when exploring the antecedents of unethical behavior.

scholarly journals Behind the cloak of competence: brain injury and mental capacity legislation

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 201-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Moore ◽  
Rebecca Wotus ◽  
Alyson Norman ◽  
Mark Holloway ◽  
Jackie Dean
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Case Managers ◽  
Mental Capacity ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hidden Disabilities ◽  
Mental Capacity Act ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose Brain Injury Case Managers (BICMs) work closely with individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), assessing needs, structuring rehabilitation interventions and providing support, and have significant experience of clients with impairments to decision making. The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and its guidance when applied to ABI survivors. This research aimed to: first, highlight potential conflicts or tensions that application of the MCA might pose, and second, identify approaches to mitigate the problems of the MCA and capacity assessments with ABI survivors. It is hoped that this will support improvements in the services offered. Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed method approach, 93 BICMs responded to an online questionnaire about decision making following ABI. Of these, 12 BICMs agreed to take part in a follow-up semi-structured telephone interview. Findings The data revealed four main themes: disagreements with other professionals, hidden disabilities, vulnerability in the community and implementation of the MCA and capacity assessments. Practical implications The findings highlight the need for changes to the way mental capacity assessments are conducted and the need for training for professionals in the hidden effects of ABI. Originality/value Limited research exists on potential limitations of the application of the MCA for individuals with an ABI. This paper provides much needed research on the difficulties surrounding mental capacity and ABI.

The impact of emotional intelligence on ethical judgment

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 503-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Hopkins ◽  
R. Deepa
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Judgment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Ethical Judgments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the important relationships between emotional intelligence (EI) and ethical decision making (EDM). Design/methodology/approach Participants were 100 students from MBA programs in the USA and India who completed two surveys: one measuring their EI, and the second their use of four different ethical perspectives in three scenarios. Multiple regression analyses were performed to discover relationships between overall EI, certain dimensions of EI and their ethical judgments. Findings The authors’ results found that the composite EI score as well as the EI subscale of decision making were both significantly related to the relativism ethical perspective. Age was an additional significant factor for EI and EDM. Research limitations/implications Future research should attempt to replicate these findings among different managerial levels, industries and countries to further understand the distinctive relationships between EI and ethical judgments. Practical implications This study highlights the importance of integrating EI and ethical judgment within corporate training programs and business school curricula, as important is the emphasis on moving the subject of ethical judgment from one of awareness to sustained ethical behavior through accountability. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by identifying how EI and its decision-making subscale are significant to EDM.

scholarly journals Can less be more? Mentoring functions, learning goal orientation, and novice entrepreneurs’ self-efficacy

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne St-Jean ◽  
Miruna Radu-Lefebvre ◽  
Cynthia Mathieu
Keyword(s):  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Perceived Similarity ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Goal ◽  
Learning Goal Orientation ◽  
Novice Entrepreneurs

Purpose One of the main goals of entrepreneurial mentoring programs is to strengthen the mentees’ self-efficacy. However, the conditions in which entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) is developed through mentoring are not yet fully explored. The purpose of this paper is to test the combined effects of mentee’s learning goal orientation (LGO) and perceived similarity with the mentor and demonstrates the role of these two variables in mentoring relationships. Design/methodology/approach The current study is based on a sample of 360 novice Canadian entrepreneurs who completed an online questionnaire. The authors used a cross-sectional analysis as research design. Findings Findings indicate that the development of ESE is optimal when mentees present low levels of LGO and perceive high similarities between their mentor and themselves. Mentees with high LGO decreased their level of ESE with more in-depth mentoring received. Research limitations/implications This study investigated a formal mentoring program with volunteer (unpaid) mentors. Generalization to informal mentoring relationships needs to be tested. Practical implications The study shows that, in order to effectively develop self-efficacy in a mentoring situation, LGO should be taken into account. Mentors can be trained to modify mentees’ LGO to increase their impact on this mindset and mentees’ ESE. Originality/value This is the first empirical study that demonstrates the effects of mentoring on ESE and reveals a triple moderating effect of LGO and perceived similarity in mentoring relationships.

scholarly journals Deconstructing the corporate psychopath: an examination of deceptive behavior

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Allen Shank
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Fundamental Difference ◽  
Psychopathic Personality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Deceptive Behavior ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Psychopathic Tendencies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether business students deceive others more often than non-business students. Design/methodology/approach A cheap talk experiment and an ethics questionnaire are employed to examine the subject’s behavior. Fundamental differences, such as psychopathic personality, are used to examine their role in deceptive and unethical behavior. Findings The results show that business students deceive others for personal gain more often than non-business students when there is the most to gain; however, business students find deception committed by others as unethical. Business students exhibit more psychopathic tendencies compared to non-business students, including being more likely to fit the prototypical psychopath profile. This fundamental difference in psychopathy can help explain why individuals deceive others and behave unethically. Practical implications These results have important implications for the business industry and the design of policies. Originality/value Thus, this study endeavors to advance the literature on fundamental distinctions between those who work in high levels of organizations and how this fundamental difference impacts decision making.

scholarly journals The mediating role of competitive orientation in determining self-construal in unethical decision-making

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
D.M. Sachinthanee Dissanayake
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Relational Self ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Collective Self ◽  
Unethical Decision Making

PurposeThe ethics literature has focused on the influence of self-construal dimensions on unethical decision-making. However, the literature is unclear about why these self-construal dimensions (Independent-self, Relational-self, Collective-self) impact differently on unethical decision-making. Based on the theory of cooperation and competition, this study empirically examines the mediating role of competitive orientation and addresses the theoretically unexplained question of why self-construal dimensions influence differently on unethical decision-making.Design/methodology/approachBased on the deductive approach, a quantitative research study was conducted on the Sri Lankan banking industry because there have been many instances of unethical behavior reported in this sector lately. Data were collected from 305 bank branch managers using a structured survey questionnaire.FindingsThe findings revealed that competitive orientation mediates the self-construal dimensions and explained that competitive orientation is one reason why independent-self, relational-self and collective-self influence differently on unethical decision-making.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the unanswered question of why self-construal dimensions relate to unethical decision-making differently.

The power of Australian small accounting firms’ unethical exposure

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-481
Author(s):  
Connie S Zheng ◽  
Soheila Mirshekary
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Attitudes ◽  
Decision Making Model ◽  
Policies And Practices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate small business owner/manager’s exposure to unethical behavior, and to examine the influence of unethical exposure on organizational intention to implement ethical policies and practices. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of 209 Australian small accounting firms with a path analysis, this paper adopts a modified ethical decision-making model to test the relationship between exposure and personal attitudes toward unethical behavior, and the relationship between exposure and intentions to implement ethical policies and practices at firm level. Findings – The results show that increased exposure to unethical behavior triggered stronger personal attitudes with small accounting firm owners/managers tending toward accepting unethical behavior. In contrast, at the firm level, more exposure to unethical behavior creates cautious overtones and motivates owners/managers to take action and implement more ethical policies, with the underlying aim of addressing serious ethical issues. Research limitations/implications – The study tests the ethical decision-making model but focuses only on three constructs (i.e. exposure, attitude and response). The aim is to examine whether extensive exposure to unethical behavior would change personal attitudes toward accepting such behavior, and whether unethical exposure would trigger firm owner/managers to take action and address the ethical dilemma by establishing some ethical guidelines. Other important variables (such as subjective norm, personal locus of control) embedded in the ethical decision-making model should be included in future research. Practical implications – The study draws attention to ethical dilemmas encountered by many small accounting professionals and their organizations. It addresses the importance of upholding the ethical standard and avoiding the extensive exposure to unethical behavior. It also emphasizes the needs for small businesses to establish some ethical policies and practices. Originality/value – The paper is purposely set out to reduce the gap in studying how small accounting firms make decisions in implementing their ethical policies and practices to address the rampant ethical dilemma faced by their employees as a result of many corporate scandals and financial crises of the past decade. The results are particularly valuable for small accounting firm owners/managers. The findings also have educational and policy implications.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document